God’s gift . . .

Ashes on My Forehead 

“’The time promised by God has come at last!’ he announced.
‘The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!’”
Mark 1:15 

Lent is the 40-day season between Ash Wednesday and Easter . . . it’s a time when believers re-examine their spiritual life and try to discern the quality of their relationship with God. 

Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life
and in this way to know the fundamental truth:
Who we are, where we come from, where we must go,
what path we must take in life.
(Pope Benedict XVI) 

Today is Ash Wednesday . . . The practice of marking the forehead with ashes in the sign of the cross (dating back to around the year 1000AD) is a way for believers to focus on the spiritual journey of Lent . . . Ashes on the forehead symbolize humility before God, acknowledgment of one's sinfulness, and the mortality of our human lives. 

“You are dust and to dust you will return”
Genesis 3:19 

The ashes are placed on the forehead, usually accompanied by the words: "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" . . . The ashes are a reminder to turn away from sin, be faithful to the gospel, and the importance  of recognizing our need for God's mercy. 

There are many individual approaches to strengthen our spiritual life—fasting, praying more often, reading God’s Word and devotions—but we fall short if we only focus on ourself and our own desires . . . Lent needs to be a time of deeper dedication to God and seeking ways that we can help to further God’s Kingdom on earth. 

Ash Wednesday initiates this season where we are being called to be as honest as we can about the ways we have slipped up with God and fallen into spiritual indifference, apathy, or distance.  

O lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones.
Let me find you again.
(Henri Nouwen) 

In this season of fasting and praying, we acknowledge our deep need for Jesus . . . the need to have Him breathe hope, life, and redemption into our lives . . . We remember Jesus’s forty-day fast in the wilderness . . . and as we enter a journey for these forty days, we become best equipped if we take time and “sit in the wilderness” too, in order to draw closer to Christ, emerging more humble and more holy than we began. 

As God gives us wisdom and insight about our true condition, we can choose spiritual practices that are uniquely suited to help us return to God in the places where we have strayed . . . or to renew our passion where our hearts may have cooled . . . Spiritual disciplines that have the potential to help us loosen the grip of distractions in our lives . . . Remember? . . . those disciplines like prayer and fasting, self-examination and repentance, forgiving others in the same way we have been forgiven. 

The purpose for participating in Lenten disciplines is to become aware of our longing for God . . .  so that we seek Him with all our hearts . . . Prayer and fasting and forgiveness help us realize the hold that sin can have on us . . . then we can let go of our attachment to anything that is not God . . . As we repent, we receive forgiveness and can walk in new levels of freedom.

This serious season is also a time of great hope, as we experience God’s love for us, even in the midst of whatever sin we are admitting to . . . In the shadow of Christ’s cross, knowing of the coming resurrection, we can be confident that there is forgiveness and cleansing for anyone who turns to Him.  

INSIGHT . . . 

Lent is the season to turn to God . . . It is critical to look at this as more than a time of fasting, giving something up, or laying something down . . . It can also be a season of taking something on . . . No matter what you choose to do, the focus is to
make more time for God . . . To give up “self”-ish time in order to give more of “self” to the Lord. 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 

The call to “humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God” does not match with current earthly attitudes, in this age that glorifies self-reliance and personal achievement—all about the “ME” . . . Humility isn’t about thinking less of ourselves—it’s about recognizing our reliance upon God and appreciating that His plans are greater than our own . . . By humbling ourselves, we admit that we don’t have all the answers . . . and that we need God’s guidance and strength. 

Humility also means letting go of the need to control every aspect of our lives . . . It’s an act of faith to place ourselves in God’s mighty hands . . . it is trusting that He is working things out for our good. . . and it is a reminder that God’s timing is perfect . . .
It’s always better than ours, even when we don’t see it. 

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Psalm 34:8 

God cares deeply about every aspect of our lives . . . He knows our thoughts, our hearts and souls . . . God doesn’t ask us to carry our burdens alone . . . instead, He invites us to lay them down at His feet . . . When we give our anxieties to Him, His peace can fill our hearts . . . This doesn’t mean that all our problems will instantly disappear, but it does mean that we can experience a sense of calm and assurance because we know and trust that God is in control. 

Apart from the cross,
there is no other ladder by which we may go to heaven.
(St. Rose of Lima) 

During this time of Lent face the cross straight on, turning  fully into the Light of Jesus . . . Sometimes we take the gifts of God for granted  . . .  Our lives lack gratitude and it shows . . .  This lack of gratitude can shield the light of Christ, not only from us but from others . . . Remember . . . thank God for all things, great or small . . . Be a shining light in the dark, serve as the hands and feet of Christ, and share the same unconditional love He has for you.  

“We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
We speak for Christ,  implore you on Christ’s behalf,
when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’
For God made Christ, who had no sin to be the offering for our sin,
so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:20-21

INVITATION—TO TALK WITH GOD . . . 

Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves . . .
 What is it that stands between us and God?
Between us and our brothers and sisters?
Between us and life, the life of the Spirit?
Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out, without a moment's hesitation."
(Catherine Doherty) 

This is the beginning of six weeks set apart for the purpose of drawing closer to God . . . seeking Him with greater intensity . . . Unfortunately, the season often gets reduced to the question, “What are you giving up for Lent?” . . . That’s okay, but it only takes us so far . . . The real question of the Lenten season is . . .
How will I repent and return to God with all my heart? 

That leads to an even deeper question . . .  
Where, in my life, have I gotten away from God, and how can I find my way back? 

The symbolism of repentance and grief are carried through the Lenten season through the observation of fasting and prayer . . . This is a time for all of us reflect on our sinfulness as human beings, and Jesus's sacrifice for our sins . . . While the ashes remind us that we will die and return to the ground as dust, if we believe in Christ, we will be raised with Him.  

“‘Even now,’ says the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.’
Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”
Joel 2:12-13 

Lent can be a valuable time to abstain from specific foods, social media, television or other indulgences . . . so that we focus on our need for a Savior and the sacrifice of Jesus . . . Jesus used fasting and prayer to strengthen His faith during His temptation in the desert . . . we also can receive power and strength through these Biblical practices.  

Fasting is between you and God  . . .  It isn’t just about food  . . .  More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us  . . . We fast to let go of an appetite for something in order to seek God . . . To replace a lesser practice with something of greater value . . . To remember the source of our sustenance . . . To achieve a greater sense of balance in our life. 

Left to ourselves, we probably wouldn’t choose to devote a whole season to fasting, praying, or giving forgiveness . . . but God knows we need it . . . The ashes marking our foreheads are a graphic reminder of our sinfulness . . . an outward sign of inward repentance and mourning as we acknowledge our sin . . . this is also good for us because we tend to live in denial . . . now we invite God to search us and know us and lead us into that resurrection life. 

Ask God to reveal the thing or things that control you . . . that it would be good to “let go of” for this season . . . to help you better focus on Christ in your life. 

So, here is a Lenten Challenge . . .

To lay down the negative . . . the undesirable, adverse, harmful, damaging, destructive,
pessimistic, discouraging, unconstructive, detrimental aspects of your life . . .

AND

To take on the positive . . . the beneficial, helpful, useful, desirable, favorable, constructive, hopeful,
inspiring, worthwhile, meaningful, optimistic, encouraging, affirmative aspects of your life.
 

You can do this by choosing something specific, or you can choose to approach an attitude adjustment or realignment over the next 40 days, focusing on Christ in the process . . . You may choose to be more positive or less negative . . . Ask God!! 

Suggestions to “Lay Down”
guilt—fear—anger—envy—the need to please everyone—impatience—bitterness
resentment—entitlement—gossip—negativity—doubt—fear of failure—lack of control
self-pity—pride—worry—feelings of unworthiness—judgment—laziness—suspicion
discontentment—hurting words—pessimism—complaining—selfishness—blame
hostility—holding grudges—arguing 

Suggestions to “Take On”
kind words—gratitude—hope—patience—trust in God—simplicity—prayerfulness
joy—kindness—listening—thankfulness—serve—appreciation—optimism—forgiveness
love—truthfulness—enthusiasm—spending time in the Word—peacefulness—faithfulness
gentleness—self-control—purposefulness—humility—compassion for others 

How will you approach the Lenten season this year?  

What is God placing on your heart so that you can know Him more?

ILLUMINATION . . . 

Do you have humble hands? . . . Do you have a humble heart? . . . Are you  willing to work without needing applause, do necessary but unnoticed tasks? . . .  Are you willing to serve others, perform modest work, and submit to God, rather than seek recognition or power? God seeks your humble hands and heart to be His hands and heart on earth. 

Imagine turning your palms upward and reaching toward the sky, opening your palms to receive God’s touch . . . Sometimes we just need to reach out and upward to refocus our mind and open our heart to let God in . . . See the hands of God reaching out to you . . . Feel His hand in yours.  

Take a deep breath and feel a sense of calm flow over your body and soul . . . Take a few more breaths until you feel the warm calm reaching inside your heart. 

Where do you find peace?
                  What do you focus on to “take you away” and help you regroup in a crazy world? 

Life can be weird and awkward sometimes . . . you feel out of place, you don’t fit in, you feel like you are on the outside looking in . . . But take another look and know you always have your support group with you . . . Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit . . . They are there with you in that “place of peace.” 

Again, where do you find peace? . . . In nature—flowing water, whispering wind, ocean waves on the sand, birds and butterflies, a sunset, crackling fire? . . . In life—a newborn baby, a child’s laugh, a sleeping puppy, a hug, a smile, tears of release?  . . . Do you find peace in the silence . . . or in the noise? 

If you are praying about it . . . God is working on it . . . in His time and what He sees best for you . . . you are not alone. 

Are you truly “listening” for God, and “listening” to God?  . . . Remember, listening means to give full attention to someone or something in order to truly hear. 

Prayerfully ask God to meet you in “your place of peace” and to help you listen for His guidance, to recognize when He is speaking to you, and to help you find the words you need to hear . . . lift your humble hands and heart to the Lord. 

INSPIRATION—PRAYING THROUGH MUSIC . . . 

Music has healing power.
It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.
(Elton John) 

I encourage you to take time to listen to any or all the songs below . . . there is no right or wrong style of music—it is what speaks to you . . . listen to the melody and the lyrics and feel the response of your heart to what God wants you to hear . . . and I do understand that music doesn’t speak to everyone . . . and that is okay too. 

♪♬♪ Current . . .  Make It Well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXUuik70EAc&list=RDOXUuik70EAc&start_radio=1

♪♬♪ Traditional . . . I Surrender All

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSPcuV5Sli8&list=RDxSPcuV5Sli8&start_radio=1  

INTO EACH DAY AHEAD . . . 

During these 40 days, let me put away all my pride.
Let me change my heart and give up all that is not good within me.
Let me love God with all that I am and all that I have.
(Genesis Grain) 

For every negative focus in your life, there can be a positive re-focus . . . For every wonder and question in your life, there can be an answer waiting with God . . . In this season of Lent, how can you re-align your focus on Christ to strengthen your relationship with God? . . . How can you align yourself with God to focus on the future, ministries, and missions of the church within the Kingdom of God? 

I want to leave you with hope and encouragement as you go through Lent . . .  I encourage you to pray every day, fast in a way that will bring you closer to God, and take up your cross for Christ as you look forward toward Easter and the days that follow. 

Kneel in prayer before the Lord, our maker and redeemer . . . talk with God often during this season . . . He is waiting and listening . . . He loves you!! 

Heavenly Father, as we enter this solemn and holy season,
we pray that you send your Holy Spirit upon us.
Help us prepare ourselves for these coming 40 days of Lent.
Help us humble ourselves so that we can understand the magnificence of your love for us,
 as You humbled Yourself and gave Your life on the Cross ~
The sacrifice that led to the forgiveness of our sins,
and the gift of everlasting life and eternal glory with You.—Amen.

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Prayer Paths (written by Dr. Debbie Parcel)
is a weekly email letter designed to “fuel”
your active prayer life, help you stay engaged in
focused prayer, and encourage a
growing relationship with our Triune God. 

To receive Prayer Paths by email each week—send a request,
with your name and email,
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